Absolute intensity determination for a light source in low level light imaging systems

• US 20070013780A1
• Filed: 09/18/2006
• Published: 01/18/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xenogen Corporation (Revvity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xenogen Corporation (Revvity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rice, Bradley, Cable, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,663,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/187
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 1/08 Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for photometry standard sources, also using luminescent or radioactive material
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/278 Constitution of standards
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/763 Bioluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/81 for suppressing or minimising disturbance in the image signal generation

Abstract

The invention describes systems and methods to obtain and present imaging data in absolute units. The systems and methods convert relative image data produced by a camera to absolute light intensity data using a compensation factor. The compensation factor accommodates for hardware and specific imaging conditions in the imaging system that variably affect camera output. The present invention determines the compensation factor based on assessing the output of the camera against a known light source for a specific set of imaging conditions in the imaging system. The compensation factor is then stored in memory corresponding to the specific set of imaging conditions. Upon subsequent imaging with the set of imaging conditions, the corresponding compensation factor is called from memory and applied to the camera output. A compensation factor may be determined and stored for each hardware state and imaging condition available to the imaging system.

Claims

1. A method for generating absolute light intensity data for a light source being imaged at low intensity light levels, the method comprising:

determining a compensation factor for converting data output by a camera into absolute intensity light data, the compensation factor corresponding to a set of imaging conditions;

storing the compensation factor;

calling the compensation factor based on the set of imaging conditions when the set of imaging conditions are used in imaging the light source; and

modifying image data, output by the camera, by the compensation factor to obtain the absolute light intensity data for the light source.